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In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions, and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.
Been in the workforce for at least eight years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here.
Previously, we talked to a psychologist in Los Angeles, a senior product specialist on Long Island, NY, and a social media coordinator in Atlanta.
Age: 32
Current Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Current Industry & Title: Film & Television, Producer
Starting Salary: $35,000
Current Salary: $70,000
Number Of Years Employed: 8
Biggest Salary Jump: $21,000 in 2015
Biggest Salary Drop: $20,000 in 2017
Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "Not doing more industry research and assuming what I was asking for was competitive, when it was in fact low. I always now recommend to people to ask for the most they can off the top, because you never know how locked in it is or how much freedom you will have later. Even big companies with standard salary bands can change their policies, and you may not have as much negotiating power as you thought."
Best Salary-Related Advice: "As someone who has hired people and has been responsible for setting salaries, I'd say don’t fear that asking for a salary you deem to be high will ruin your chances. A worthy employer will work with you to try and find a fair solution and likely will not just take an offer off the table because you asked for 'too much.' There is usually more of a conversation to be had."
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